Universal Roof Rack Buying Guide: Maximize Your Vehicle's Cargo Potential

Are you planning a weekend getaway or a long road trip and finding yourself short on space? Whether you're hauling bikes, skis, kayaks, or extra luggage, a universal roof rack can transform your vehicle by opening up unused roof space into functional cargo storage. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to choose the right roof rack for your needs.

Introduction to Roof Racks

A roof rack is a system that allows you to carry extra cargo and equipment on the roof of your vehicle. It’s the key to mounting everything from roof boxes and bike carriers to ski racks and rooftop tents. When it won’t fit inside, or you don’t want it inside, a roof rack system allows you to carry almost anything: boats, bikes, wet gear, even a tent. You can swap out mounts to fine tune your rack for what you want to carry.

Key Components of a Roof Rack

At its core, a roof rack consists of a few essential parts:

Crossbars (profiles): These are the horizontal bars that stretch across your roof. We offer four crossbars of various finishes, colors, and weight ratings to fit your needs.
Mount: This is the piece of the rack that attaches to your vehicle. This piece will be specific to your vehicle's make, model, and year.
Towers: This is the piece that connects the mount to the actual crossbar. The tower isn't a choice you have to make because it will always be the correct tower for the mount.
Brackets or fix kits: These are the connection points that attach the crossbars to your vehicle. Think of the crossbars as the “foundation beams” and the brackets as the “anchors” that keep everything secure. Without the right bracket, even the best crossbar won’t fit. Your vehicle’s roof determines how the roof rack is attached. This is done using our specially engineered towers and attachments. Don’t worry, we’ve already figured all this out for you. Use our Fit Configurator to fit your vehicle.
Accessories: Once you have a base rack on your car, you can mount accessories to the cross bars to carry just about anything.

Identifying Your Roof Type

When it comes to buying a roof rack, nothing is more important than identifying your roof type. Your car’s roof isn’t just a flat surface; manufacturers design them with specific attachment systems in mind. The way you mount your rack is dictated by the type of roof your vehicle has. If it has raised rails running front to back, it uses a raised rail rack. If there are mounting points hidden in your roof, it's a fixed point. Almost any car can support a roof rack, but the type of rack depends on your roof design. Cars with fixing points or factory rails make installation easiest. Naked roofs require clamp-style racks, and some small convertibles or very lightweight roofs may not be suitable.

Here are the most common types of roof setups:

Fixed Points

Some cars come with factory-installed fixing points, hidden beneath small plastic covers or sliding caps on the roofline. When uncovered, you’ll see threaded metal sockets. These allow you to bolt the roof rack directly into reinforced mounting spots designed by the manufacturer. Some vehicles (BMW, Volkswagen, and Mazda especially) come from the factory with fixed mounting points. Often these are hidden by little trap doors on your roof, and you can attach racks directly to these spots.

Why it’s a great option: This is the most secure and stable roof rack setup.
OMAC offers a range of roof rack models designed specifically for vehicles with fixed points. Each mounting bracket is custom-made to fit your car’s factory fixed-point sockets.
If this is possible, it's almost always the best way to go and can even save you some money over some other options. Check the fit guide to ensure a proper fit before making any final choices.

Roof Rails

If you see long bars running from the front to the back of your car, you’ve got roof rails. They’re not racks themselves but serve as anchor points for the crossbars. Of the various factory mounting points, raised rails are the easiest. If you're able to wrap the rack mounting around the factory rail, then you won't actually need a separate mounting component at all. In this one scenario, the tower will mount to the rails directly. The most popular options for this type of rack are the Thule Evo Raised Rail or the Yakima TimberLine.

There are two main types of roof rails:

Flush Rails: Flush rails sit snugly against the roof with no gap in between. If you try to slide your finger under the rail, it won’t fit. Flush rails have quickly become one of the most common roof options you see on newly manufactured cars. Due to their subtle appearance and improved usability, many manufacturers include them on almost every trim level. This is great since many flush rail options use similar mounting systems as fixed points, making these options much more universal.
- Common vehicles: Mazda CX-5, BMW X3.
- Pros: Sleek, aerodynamic look.
- Cons: Requires special brackets that “clamp” onto the flush design. The design of the mounting brackets changes depending on the shape of the solid rails.
Raised Rails: The shape of raised roof rails requires brackets designed to grip securely around the rails.

Naked Roofs

Some vehicles - especially sedans and compact cars - have completely smooth roofs, with no rails or fixing points. These are known as naked roofs.If your car has nothing but a bare roof, then you have to choose between two mounting options. Either you go with a system with clips mounting into your door jams, or you can permanently mount a rack to the roof similar to the factory mount options.

For these, you’ll need a roof rack that clamps onto the car by gripping into the door jambs (the space between the door and the roof frame).

Clip System Racks

With specific mounts (baseclips for Yakima, Fit Kits for Thule) made for the majority of all vehicles, this option will get you a reliable roof rack which you can remove or leave on nearly indefinitely. With this style of rack, the towers sit on the vehicle's roof, and the vehicle-specific clips fit snugly into your door. This rack can carry all the roof rack accessories and will never leak, no matter how hard the rain comes down.

Permanent roof rack installations

There are many reasons someone would choose to permanently install a rack on the roof of their car, including:

No door-mount fit is available.
Desired ability to quickly remove the cross bars from the roof.
The requirement of having the bars located in places other than where a door jam mounted rack would allow (for example, a bar near the rear of the vehicle for easy loading of kayaks.
Aesthetics.

There are three ways to permanently install a roof rack to your car. One is by first installing a track running along your roof from the front to back. This option gives a very factory look, but is a little more work and expense than mounting a fixed point rack. The second option is mounting Yakima Landing Pads directly to your roof. With this install, you can never change the location of the bars on your roof, but for almost all rack users this is not an issue. This install is a little easier and is by far the most common permanent install we do in our shops. The final way to permanently install a rack is to add an artificial rain gutter to the side of the vehicle. This installation method is the least common, typically used for camper-vans with a roof unable to support the weight of a cargo rack. In this case, we will mount brackets to the sides of the vehicle for attaching the rack.

It's important to note that a permanent rack install is permanent. You will be required to drill through the roof of your vehicle to complete this installation. We guarantee a perfect fit, leak and problem-free, for all installs as long as you own your vehicle. But it should be noted that this is probably not the best choice for leased cars.

If you would rather not drill holes in your roof, then the best choice for you will be a clip mount.

Rain Gutters

On most older vehicles or vans, you will have rain gutters running around the edge of your car, just below the roof. Both Yakima and Thule make rain gutter towers that clamp into these gutters, giving you a solid rack without any fuss. No extra mounts are needed for rain gutter towers.

Important Note

It’s worth mentioning that even the same vehicle model can have different roof setups depending on the trim. For example, a base model may come with a naked roof, while a premium trim has factory-installed rails. This part is already done for you. OMAC product listings are pre-matched with the correct crossbar length and mounting kit for your specific car.

Roof Rack Materials: Steel vs. Aluminum

Roof racks generally come in two main materials: steel and aluminum.

Steel roof racks: Steel roof racks are typically made of heavy-duty steel that’s covered with a protective powder-coated finish. The standard Thule or Yakima crossbars are made of steel. They are strong and reliable but heavy. They can also make a fair amount of wind noise when mounted on your roof.
- Strength: Strong and durable, ideal for heavy loads.
- Corrosion risk: If the coating is deeply scratched and exposes the steel, rust can form.
Aluminum roof racks: Both Thule and Yakima offer multiple options for lighter, aerodynamic bars. You can get the Evo WingBar from Thule, or the Jetstream and Corebar from Yakima. These systems will make less noise, are easier to install and remove, and will never rust. On top of it all, they look fantastic.
Found mostly on aluminum bars, the T-bolt slides into the channel along the top of the bar.

Weight Capacity: Dynamic vs. Static

Weight capacity is one of the most important (yet often overlooked) factors to consider when choosing a roof rack.

Dynamic load capacity: This refers to the weight your rack can safely carry while the vehicle is moving. cars and SUVs can handle around 165 lbs. (75 kg) of dynamic load.
Static load capacity: This is how much the weight your rack can hold when while the car is parked. Static capacity is usually higher and most important if you plan to use a rooftop tent. A vehicle may support 600 lbs. static weight, even if the dynamic limit is only 165 lbs.

When to consider three crossbars instead of two:

If you own a minivan, campervan, or plan to carry especially heavy cargo, you may want to install three crossbars instead of the standard two. This helps distribute the load more evenly across the roof and improves stability.

Styles of Roof Rack Cross Bars

Not all crossbars are shaped the same.

Square or rectangular bars: These offer a strong, stable surface but tend to create more wind resistance. Sometimes, even with a square bars, the “whistle” often comes down to the exact placement on your roof. Moving it forward or backward by just a few centimeters can often solve the problem. Bottom line: Wind noise isn’t a major concern. buyers.
Thule has recently reinvented the roof rack by offering traditional style bars with their Evo Lineup or a sleeker look with their Edge lineup. More can be found on these systems on their own separate blog.

If you do buy a system with separate bars and towers it's possible to choose the length of your bars. When you input your vehicle information into the fit guide if will show you the recommended bar length for your vehicle, but in most cases, it's possible to get a longer bar length. A longer bar will stick out on the sides of your vehicle, making the rack less visually appealing, but this extra bar length will increase the amount of stuff you can carry on your roof and can make it possible to mount accessories outside of the tower, which can be beneficial for some situations.

Finishes: Black vs. Silver

Roof racks generally come in two finishes:

Black powder-coated steel or aluminum: Provides a bold, modern look, matches most vehicles and resists scratches.
Silver powder-coated steel or aluminum: Gives a sleek, premium appearance that blends well with chrome trim.

Choosing between them comes down to aesthetics.

Accessories to Enhance Your Roof Rack

A roof rack by itself is just the starting point. The real value comes from the accessories that make carrying cargo safer, quieter, and more versatile. Once your roof racks are installed, the possibilities open up. Perfect for family vacations or road trips when your trunk is full. Cyclists often prefer roof-mounted bike carriers because they free up space in the trunk and hitch. Water sports enthusiasts can mount kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards on the roof rack. Overlanding and camping are booming and rooftop tents are at the heart of the trend.

Here are some key accessories to consider:

Load Stoppers: Small adjustable brackets that slide onto the crossbars and hold cargo in place.
Lock Belt Straps: Heavy-duty straps with integrated locks. They not only secure your gear tightly but also deter theft by locking the strap itself.
T-Bolt Eye Nuts: Special fittings that slot into aluminum crossbars with T-channels.
Surfboard / Canoe / Kayak Protection Pads: Foam or rubber pads that fit around the bars to cushion delicate equipment.
Wind Noise Blocker (Fairing): A plastic or acrylic shield that mounts to the front of the crossbars.

Tip: Accessories can often be mixed and matched.

Installation Basics

Most racks are designed for DIY installation with simple tools.

Basic steps:

Identify your mounting points (rails, fixing points, or door jambs).
Place and secure the brackets or feet.
Attach the crossbars, making sure they are centered and evenly spaced.
Final check: Before driving, give the rack a firm shake to ensure its secure. Recheck tightness: Bolts and clamps can loosen slightly over time. Secure cargo properly: Always use quality tie-downs or ratchet straps.

Addressing Common Concerns

Will a roof rack scratch my car? No, not if installed correctly. Fit kits are designed with protective rubber pads to avoid scratches.
Are roof racks reusable? Sometimes. Crossbars may be reusable, but the brackets or fit kits are usually vehicle-specific.
Can I carry e-bikes? Nulla et vehicula ligula.
Can a roof rack be installed on cars with sunroofs? Yes, but with caution. A roof rack can be installed on cars with sunroofs as long as the fit kit is designed for that model. However, using the sunroof while the rack is loaded may cause interference or noise.

Using the Fit Guide

The best thing you can do is use our fit guides. Many cars have multiple fit options, and now that you understand what all of the possible options are, the guide will make a little more sense to you. Make sure to choose only an approved fit for your vehicle. If you have difficulty figuring it out, or you want to do something unique with your rack, give us a call. This guide is here to make it easier. By the end, you’ll know everything from how to identify your roof type to comparing materials, mounting systems, and weight limits.

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